E-mail a friendMay 20, 2009
Religions scholar, Islam expert and award-winning writer Reza Aslan talks about Iran's missile launch test and explains his new book, How to Win a Cosmic War. Hip-hop artist-turned-actor Common describes his new music and talks about his desire to build a long career in acting.
Reza Aslan
Reza Aslan
Islam expert talks about Iran's reasons for firing off the test missile today. (2:35)
Full interview. (10:07)
Reza Aslan is a comparative religions scholar. Born in Iran, he studied at Harvard, where he was president of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, a U.N. organization committed to global understanding. Aslan is also a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and was Visiting Assistant Professor of Islamic and Middle East Studies at the University of Iowa. His work has appeared in several publications, including USA Today and U.S. News & World Report. An award-winning writer, his latest book is How to Win a Cosmic War.
Common
Common
Hip-hop artist-turned-actor comments on how technology can disconnect people from genuine conversations. (2:46)
Full interview. (12:36)
Common makes message songs, focused on spirituality and love, and has an alternative and underground hip-hop fan base. He honed his skills on Chicago's South Side and got his break when he won a contest sponsored by The Source magazine. In addition to his solo CDs, he's collaborated with numerous artists and contributed music to many movie soundtracks. In ‘04, Common segued into acting, appearing in episodes of several series, including Girlfriends, and the films American Gangster and the upcoming Terminator Salvation.